Cornering A Small Animal
by Sunshinecackle
Summary: Everyone knows Richie is protective of Eddie, but love is a two-way street.


**Title:** Cornering A Small Animal  
 **Author:** Donnie  
 **Fandom:** IT  
 **Setting:** Derry High School  
 **Pairing:** Richie Tozier/Eddie Kaspbrak  
 **Characters:** Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak, Patrick Hockstetter, Reginald "Belch" Huggins  
 **Genre:** Humor/Romance  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Chapters:** 1/1  
 **Word Count:** 886  
 **Type of Work:** One-Shot, Part of the Unintended series  
 **Status:** Complete  
 **Warnings:** Gay, Slash, Yaoi, Fluff, Anxiety, Patrick's presence is worrying, Richie's trash mouth, Eddie is a sweet blushy boy, AU - Canon Divergent  
 **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.  
 **Summary:** Everyone knows Richie is protective of Eddie, but love is a two-way street.

 **AN:** I needed to write some Reddie, and this was apparently what was coming out. xD Whoops. I hope you guys enjoy!

 **Cornering A Small Animal** ****

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Richie Tozier was a teen on a mission.

Second period killed him every single time, because his hand was empty a minute before the bell. Watching Eddie hurrying down the hallways in his obscenely small shorts always made him worry just as much as it made his heart ache.

He told himself this could have been avoided if he'd agreed to take the extra health course instead of being a stickler on wood shop. He also told himself that he'd been an idiot for thinking he could tempt Eddie away from a fairly comprehensive CPR course with enough 'hard wood' jokes and pleading. The pleading had all been done, of course, behind closed doors.

Still, Eddie would _not_ be budged, and at some point, despite his own knowledge of the inner workings of the hypochondriac's mind, even Richie knew that it was a waste of time. Small, fragile, and easily startled as Eddie might have been, he was a feisty little thing when he wanted to be. He had had more black eyes and busted lips from their occasional scuffles to know better. When Eddie Kaspbrak didn't want to be pushed, he was a stone.

But that was so far from his mind right now. Richie had managed to bolt from class exactly six minutes before the bell, as was typical at this point in the semester, and was heading straight for the Health classroom. Like a constantly talking gargoyle, he positioned himself at the right side of the doorway, trying to lean nonchalantly but looking far too ruffled and pouty.

"Well, well, well, what have we here, huh?" Patrick Hockstetter practically melted into Richie's entire right side and left him feeling clammy and uncomfortable. When he tried to slip away from the toxic presence of the smarmy, grinning monster, Richie ran straight into the wall of man that was Belch Huggins. In the hallway, alone for the next thirty seconds, he was trapped between a rock and a weird place, putting on as close to a nonchalant smile as he could.

"You, uh. Have some personal space issues, I think-"

"Don't go trying to be smart-" Patrick started, earning a glare from Belch as Richie yelped; a hand too tight around his arm prompted the kid to ruin his fun too early. If he wasn't on his damn medication right now, he would probably be about ready to lay into Belch, too.

"What are you doing?!" The shrill, loud shriek that left a wide-eyed Eddie half clinging to the health room door shocked both bullies enough to almost leap away from their target. Belch shot a confused half-gesture to Patrick, who almost looked like he'd recovered before a travel sized pack of tissues slapped him in the face. Those dark eyes narrowed on the little Loser and he started in with his shoulders slumped in and eyes narrowed.

"Patrick Hockstetter!" Thank every Lord that listened to tiny gay boys with wavering bravery for Mrs. Frakes. Not quite willing to deal with the consequences of hazing the _happy couple_ , Patrick gripped Belch's arm and yanked him down the hallway instead. They could get more enjoyment out of pinning Vic to the bathroom wall and leaving him breathless. Fun with no repercussions, no less. That sounded monumentally better than listening to that bitch drone on about how he shouldn't do this, that and the other thing.

"Richie, did they-"

"Those _scrotum suckers_!" Richie shouted after the bullies as they turned tail, "Didn't lay a finger on my fine ass, and I'm glad they didn't get the chance to touch yours."

Eddie's cheeks tinged and he glanced to the teacher behind him, who sighed and waved them off. As soon as the pair's hands melted together, the bell signaled full hallways and chatty students, and Richie barely managed to tug his boyfriend into his arms before he was trampled in the sudden stampede.

"So," Richie started, keeping Eddie practically plastered to his front as he guided them towards the locker they shared, "I was thinking about cutting third period."

"...Let me get this straight." Eddie began, pressing his hands together and covering his nose for a second, "You want to _cut_ third period… Which is literally study hall."

"Well," Richie started with a roll of his eyes, "Sir Doubts-A-Lot, I can't exactly kiss you senseless in study hall, now, can I?"

Whatever fight had been in Eddie a few minutes ago drained from his face as his jaw dropped and he pointed at the other for a long moment, not saying anything.

"...where do you want to go?" Crossing his arms over his chest, the smaller male hunched in on himself with an embarrassed smile on his face.

"We could go walk around back-"

"I am _not_ making out with you behind the school." People smoked back there!

"Well, the library, then?"

Taking a few seconds to decide, he slowly began to nod and glanced away, staring at the lockers across from them as he leaned on the ones beside theirs.

"Yeah, yeah. We can get away with that." A quick peck on his cheek made Eddie squeak and he touched the tingling skin with his hand, looking rather like an apprehensive deer caught in a flash light.

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 **AN:** I really probably need some sleep. At any rate, it only took me all night to get this done and I still need to get done with Hexes For Exes chapter three. X.x It's getting there, though! I just needed to get some Reddie out of my system. Apparently. I have no idea anymore. xD


End file.
